


let's be brave, turn the light off

by GuardianKarenTerrier



Series: tumblr prompts/ask game answers [5]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Anxiety, Coming Out, Friendship, Gen, Nonbinary Character, Podfic Welcome, Supportive Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, chat noir is the best partner, nonbinary ladybug, nonbinary puns, pronoun bracelets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22140670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuardianKarenTerrier/pseuds/GuardianKarenTerrier
Summary: She-Theycome out to Chat Noir first.He listens to them intently, not interrupting even when they start to wish he would, and when they’ve run out of breath and explanation both he asks tentatively whether they mind if he cuts his patrol short.The tight, wound feeling in the pit of their stomach gets worse, but they agree anyway even as their spirits plummet.Chat Noir is their safety net.  He’s the one they thought it would be safest to talk to first.  For him to listen so attentively only to leave feels like glass shards in their lungs.  It feels so much worse than they’d expected that they consider taking it back, laughing it off when they meet up again the next night for patrol.Chat calls them back that same night, before the sun’s more than a hazy idea on the horizon, and asks to meet up again.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: tumblr prompts/ask game answers [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1478756
Comments: 66
Kudos: 610





	let's be brave, turn the light off

**Author's Note:**

> for anonymous for an ask meme on tumblr: song prompt, [Ready to Call This Love by MIKA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGCF2TZ8Esk), Chat Noir and Nonbinary!Ladybug

She- _They_ come out to Chat Noir first. 

He listens to them intently, not interrupting even when they start to wish he would, and when they’ve run out of breath and explanation both he asks tentatively whether they mind if he cuts his patrol short. 

The tight, wound feeling in the pit of their stomach gets worse, but they agree anyway even as their spirits plummet. 

Chat Noir is their safety net. He’s the one they thought it would be safest to talk to first. For him to listen so attentively only to _leave_ feels like glass shards in their lungs. It feels so much worse than they’d expected that they consider taking it back, laughing it off when they meet up again the next night for patrol. 

Chat calls them back that same night, before the sun’s more than a hazy idea on the horizon, and asks to meet up again.

He shows up with a clumsily-made pronoun bracelet. 

“I don’t think our suits will let us do pins,” he says sheepishly, eyes darting to them and away before they can get a good look at the emotion in them. 

They kind of want to do the same, because they can feel themself beginning to tear up. 

Chat Noir notices. His eyes catch and hold this time, going wide with alarm. “My-” He hesitates, then offers almost shyly, “M'theydy?“ 

That does it. Marinette can’t keep the tears back, but at the alarmed flicker of Chat Noir’s ears they dart towards him and throw their arms around him in a hug. 

It takes him a minute to unfreeze and hug them back. It always does- it’s always concerned them that it does, but by their own rules they can’t ask. They _can_ hug him until he seems more used to it, though. "Thank you, kitty." 

"Is it too early to tell you I’m _enb_ ious of you?” he wonders aloud, and Marinette snorts and hits his chest lightly. 

“You _dumb cat_ ,” they laugh through their tears, hugging him harder so that he doesn’t think they mean it. “I can’t believe you. I can’t believe I was _worried_ , how did I not know you were going to take this as another reason to pun?”

“I looked them up,” Chat Noir admits. “There’s _so many_." He tilts his head down, his eyes catching theirs as he grins and repeats, "M'theydy.”

They have to let go of him before they find themself squeezing the breath out of him. “I can’t _believe_ you." _You’re too good to be true,_ they finish in the privacy of their own head. They’re not quite ready to say that to him. They might be trying to let go of Adrien now, in bits and pieces and broken hopes, but it’s a slow process. 

They suspect they already know how they feel about Chat Noir, but they’re not ready to call it that just yet. 

Chat Noir straightens proudly. His tail gives a happy little flick as he grins at them, tentatively. "You don’t mind?" 

"From you, Chat?” Marinette says, too relieved that _he_ doesn’t mind to watch what they’re saying too closely. “Never." 

They’d thought he’d already looked pleased with himself, but he’s near preening now. 

"You did good, kitty,” Marinette assures him, just to be rewarded with the bright flash of his eyes and the quirk to his grin that he only displays when they’re alone. “I’ve just been so nervous about this." They look down at the bracelet he’s given them, turning it over thoughtfully. It’s the kind of beaded bracelet they associate with summer camps but the beads are a kind they’ve never seen before. They look fancier, somehow, than they really ought to. 

"You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to." 

They look up swiftly. Chat Noir didn’t- didn’t sound right.

He’s not looking back at them. He’s looking down at the roof, one hand rubbing the back of his head. His ears are swivelled towards them, but his tail’s fallen still.

"Why wouldn’t I?" Marinette asks softly, watching as his head jerks up at their tone. "I’d love to show it off." 

There’s definitely a blush under his mask. 

"I didn’t know if you wanted to be out as Ladybug." His voice has gone very quiet. "I didn’t want to assume anything. I just wanted you to know that it doesn’t change anything for _me_." 

Marinette turns the bracelet over again, running their fingers across the letters, before slipping it on and smiling at Chat Noir. It fits perfectly. "I wanted to tell you before anyone else, but I do want to come out as Ladybug." They look away, across the rooftops. They’re well hidden in this part of the city but this is still something they’d prefer to keep private a little longer. "I want to say it’s because I want people to have a nonbinary hero, but it’s not really that. Or not just that, anyway." 

"What else is it?” Chat asks, taking a seat on the edge of the roof and looking up at them attentively. 

It throws them for a moment. He’s looked at them like this before, but it’s never hit them quite like this. 

“LB?” he says, when they don’t respond. “You okay?" 

They sigh, slipping down to sit next to him. "I think so." The smile they give him feels weak, but it strengthens in response to the bright look he returns it with. "First step’s the hardest part, right?" 

"It’s okay if it’s not." Chat Noir’s voice is soft, more serious than they’re used to hearing him. "Take your time if you need it." 

Marinette flounders for a second and then hopes he doesn’t notice. "I don’t want to, really. I’m just-” They sigh, hand returning to their bracelet and fidgeting with it. The beads click together satisfyingly. Knowing Chat, there’s a decent chance that was unintentional, but it’s soothing anyway. “Scared. I’m scared. Coming out as Ladybug feels safer." Their hands drop away again. "Like sleeping with a light on. At least this way I’ll have my mask. You know?" 

Chat Noir’s quiet again, but he has his tail in his lap and is running his thumb over the buckle, so Marinette waits for him to speak up. 

"Sort of,” he says slowly, and they’re glad they waited. “Transforming is taking the mask _off_ , for me." 

Marinette’s always suspected that, but it still saddens them to hear it. 

They take a deep breath. "Not for me." 

"I know." Chat’s hand finds theirs, twining their fingers together. "Whenever you’re ready." He leans his head against their shoulder, and another smile lights his words. "M'theydy." 


End file.
